Technical Director AfroCAB

Job Description

Title: Technical Director

Position Overview: The Technical Director will play a critical role in Afrocab’s next phase of growth as an organization. Working closely with the Executive Director, The Technical Director (Chief Operating Officer), and other key stakeholders, the Technical Director will lead Afrocab’s technical priorities and advocacy focal areas, engaging with communities and external partners across the countries where Afrocab works, including Ministries of Health, researchers, donor, and implementing partners. The Technical Director will lead the strategic direction of the organization and provide leadership to the Afrocab team, collaborating closely with internal teams, external partners, and other key stakeholders to advance Afrocab’s mission.

They will develop relationships with external stakeholders in the HIV space, seeking to build new partnerships, identify new sources of funding, and align Afrocab’s work with the work of others. They will ensure that grant management responsibilities are on track and identify opportunities to continually increase the impact of the available resources. They will oversee the development of new program areas of work and grant proposals aligned to evidence-based best practices, new opportunities brought about by innovations, and the needs of communities. They will also strategically communicate about the program to influence others in the sector to improve resource availability and engagement of communities affected by HIV.

The Technical Director must have the ability to work with a high degree of independence and flexibility, demonstrate outstanding leadership and management skills, have proven and significant technical expertise, strong strategic thinking and communication skills, and share a deep commitment to achieving public health impact in the HIV space. This individual will be a trusted leader who will build strong relationships across Afrocab and with local and global partner organizations.

Responsibilities:

• Drive and oversee the development, initiation, execution, growth, and monitoring of existing and new strategic priorities
• Set vision, strategies, and approaches, annual programmatic goals and targets, and support teams to work on ambitious but realistic goals
• Manage complex multidisciplinary partnerships to develop and implement community access programs with product developers, implementers, policy makers, donors, civil society and other key stakeholders to accelerate and improve access to focal HIV products
• Provide overall technical guidance and leadership for the organization’s advocacy initiatives
• Stay updated on the latest developments, research, and best practices related to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and advocacy
• Translate technical information into actionable strategies and plans to drive the organization’s goals and objectives
• Lead on new initiatives – scope and explore additional areas, develop concept notes, proposals, and budgets for internal and external audiences, and lead the initiation and execution of new programs as the team grows
• Develop and deliver training programs, workshops, and capacity-building activities to enhance the knowledge and skills of advocates and community members
• Collect, analyze, and report on program data, indicators, and outcomes to inform decision- making and demonstrate the organization’s impact
• Oversee execution against program budgets, review and inform budgets and reallocations, and help draft financial reports for donors
• Explore, develop, and manage strategic relationships with global and in-country partners to collaborate on initiatives and inform Afrocab activities and strategies
• Engage and manage relationships with funders interested in Afrocab’s work and vision
• Help to shape the culture and dynamics of the Afrocab team, foster team engagement, effectiveness, and cohesion across geographies and workstreams
• Make hiring and compensation decisions; support onboarding and recruitment of new Afrocab staff
• Any other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred
• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant work experience on market access for new drugs and/or technologies, especially focused on HIV and/or other infectious diseases in the Global South
• Experience mobilizing communities at the grassroots level is highly preferred
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving mindset, with the ability to design and drive effective long-term strategies
• Excellent organizational and project management skills; proven ability to set direction and structure, prioritize among complex options, and uphold high-performance expectations
• High emotional intelligence, patience, and thoughtfulness even in high-pressure, stressful situations
• Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to build, strengthen, and leverage complex and nuanced stakeholder relationships particularly with policymakers, funders, product developers, implementers and civil society actors, in a multicultural environment
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, able to concisely communicate complex ideas in a manner that builds buy-in among diverse stakeholders.
• Proficient in using office software such as MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with database management systems
• Experience with facilitating groups and meetings to achieve consensus and to advance shared goals
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Willingness to travel

Advantages:

• Experience in community engagement, working with affected communities, particularly people living with HIV (PLHIV), across multiple geographic regions
• Experience in advocacy and community mobilization efforts to introduce new diagnostics or therapeutics